1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to infusion pump systems for delivering a plurality of therapeutic agents to a patient via intravenous connection. More particularly, the present invention relates to an infusion pump system in which critical care therapeutic agents are delivered accurately and rapidly to a patient requiring Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The intravenous delivery of drugs by infusion pump is well known and has many advantages over the manual modes for delivering drugs. However, despite these developments, there remains a need for improved techniques for rapid, safe, and accurate intravenous drug delivery to a patient during ACLS. Presently, the manual mode of operation is still in use for the delivery of therapeutic agents such as lidocaine, sodium bicarbonate, epinephrine, etc. These drugs are used during resuscitation of patients who have sustained cardiac arrest, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, electromechanical dissociation of the heart and pulse, and bradycardia.
To the present day, the nurses and physicians involved in ACLS must locate the separate medications (generally located in a cart which may be locked), take them out of their cardboard containers after removing them from the cart, assemble the syringes, uncap the needles, locate the intravenous injection hub, and, finally, administer the prescribed therapeutic agents.
This procedure wastes precious time, allows for errors in dosing, and increases the risk of the physicians or nurses sticking themselves with a needle due to the rush of providing the therapeutic agents to the patient because of the urgency of the situation. Further, because of the rush and urgency of the situation, records of what drugs were administered and when may not be properly kept or easily remembered afterwards.
An article by Vivian T. Biggers, Codes for a Code, American Journal of Nursing, May 1992, pages 57-61, discloses the currently accepted protocols for managing a variety of cardiac emergencies and is incorporated herein by reference, for purposes of indicating the background of the invention and illustrating the state of the art as to the just mentioned protocols. In the ideal situation, a doctor would be thoroughly familiar with these protocols before they are needed in a medical emergency.
The Medex advertisement discloses an infusion pump which delivers the proper amount of the therapeutic agent in accordance with the patient's weight.
The Medical Data Electronics advertisement discloses a portable and compact EKG machine which displays heart rhythm, blood pressure, and oximetry data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,981 issued Feb. 18, 1992 to Howson et al discloses a microprocessor controlled infusion pump system for delivering therapeutic agents in accordance with a "library" of delivery protocols stored in the microprocessor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,266 issued Sep. 26, 1989 to Taylor et al discloses a patient weight monitoring system for controlling an infusion pump, a display, a printer, and for setting off an alarm if the patient's weight changes drastically.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,972 issued Jul. 25, 1989 to Schulman et al discloses a programmable infusion pump system for delivering a plurality of therapeutic agents. The system is compact and utilizes a printer to record the history of the activity of the system while in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,086 issued Aug. 20, 1991 to Koening et al discloses an infusion pump system with Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) which allows the user to control the system through user inputs.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.